The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s Ismael Cruz Cordova explains Arondir’s reaction to a significant death during the second season’s third episode. It is revealed that Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) did not survive the wounds she received from the Orcs in the sixth episode of season 1. While she initially recovered, Arondir explained to Isildur (Maxim Baldry) that “there is a foulness in Orc arrows not easily forgotten by human flesh.”

Speaking exclusively to Screen Rant, Cordova explains how Arondir reacts to Bronwyn’s death. Initially stating that Arondir has a deep curiosity and existential nature, the actor also highlights that he finds himself in a particular place, having found love with Bronwyn and a community within the Southlanders. Check out what he says on the matter below:

There’s this deep, deep curiosity of an existential nature that Arondir has. He is neither here nor there. We haven’t met a character like him, or an elf like him in the cinematic universe. For example, he’s not a royal elf, he doesn’t have all of this political power, but he’s not a human. He’s just kind of at the mercy of both places. So in terms of that, he finds himself this particular place, trying to find meaning. “What am I? Who am I? What do I do?” He finds it in love in a certain way, but that gets taken in a direction that we shall see. He finds love, finds family and finds a community, in a certain way. Because at the end of season 1, the Southlanders are also keen to to have him with them, but in that, everything just gets turned around. As we all say, grief or a loss is directly proportional to the amount of love that you’ve experienced, and he is a noble guy. He’s a very noble guy, he’s made a promise he’s going to protect, and protect he will. At what cost? Tune in.

The Reason Why Bronwyn Died In The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2

Nazanin Boniadi Stepped Away From Acting In 2022

While Bronwyn initially survived the wounds from the Orcs, setting up a future for her in The Rings of Power season 2, Boniadi chose not to return and stepped away from acting in September 2022. Boniadi had explained on Instagram that she had stepped away from the profession to focus on her advocacy work. She added that her decision to leave The Rings of Power was unrelated. Because of this, the character was not recast and instead killed off, therefore not giving Arondir a chance to develop his relationship with her fully.

Arondir fell in love with Bronwyn in the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, developing a rare relationship between an Elf and a human in J.R.R. Tolkien’s world.

At the start of The Rings of Power season 2, Arondir is left aimless in the aftermath of Bronwyn’s death. He properly mourns her and even saves Isildur from an attack, demonstrating he hasn’t completely retreated. However, as Cordova alluded to, Arondir is still left without a place of belonging. Bronwyn’s death has seemingly begun an arc that will see the Elf figuring out who he is and where he should be. The Rings of Power sees him trying to build a rapport with Bronwyn’s son Theo, but that hasn’t had the strongest start, as Theo currently hates Arondir.

However, episode 3 ended with Theo in an uncertain, potentially dangerous situation, which could spur Arondir into action if the young man needs help. If he is given a purpose that is directly tied to his lost love, Arondir might uncover all the answers he’s currently looking for. This could also bring him closer to Theo, thus allowing the two to form a small family of their own. With Middle-earth facing increasing darkness in The Rings of Power season 2, characters will need to choose their paths carefully. Arondir’s path is currently uncertain, but a quest could help focus him.